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Cardiff University has reiterated its commitment to helping small businesses build prosperity in Wales after the pandemic.

Cardiff Business School has successfully maintained its Small Business Charter Accreditation, awarded by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), for another five years.

The agreement recognizes the role of business schools and their affiliated universities in supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups and student businesses.

As one of two accredited business schools in Wales, Cardiff is now eligible to participate in the UK Government’s new Help to Grow program, which offers tailor-made practical management training for small businesses on a heavily subsidized basis.

The recent charter reaccreditation evaluation panel visit was attended by organizations such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors Wales, as well as representatives of small business partners working with the business school and entrepreneurial students, including those with their own start-ups, part.

Ben Cottam, Head of Wales at the Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“We are very pleased that Cardiff Business School has again received the Small Business Charter. As we grow again and develop our economy, the need to connect businesses with the expertise of institutions like Cardiff Business School has been more important than ever. These are important partnerships that are important for our economy and for the development of entrepreneurship and innovation. We look forward to continuing our own work with the school under the banner of the charter. “

Professor Colin Riordan, President and Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, said:

“We are delighted that Cardiff Business School has been reaccredited by CABS. This prestigious award recognizes the university’s continued commitment to supporting small businesses and the local economy, developing the next generation of entrepreneurs, and helping us deliver on our citizen mission strategy to engage with our communities and post-pandemic recovery Wales to contribute. The ability to participate in Help to Grow, made possible by Small Business Charter accreditation, will further enhance our ability to connect with and support small businesses across Wales and beyond. “

“From winter 2021, entrepreneurs, start-ups and student companies can use our state-of-the-art sbarc | Spark construction on the Cardiff Innovation Campus. This is where we will provide scientific and professional support to help small businesses translate great ideas into the real processes and products of tomorrow that will benefit society as a whole. “

When the award was presented, the Small Business Charter highlighted:

• Cardiff Business School’s proactive support for entrepreneurship within the student body by offering a wide range of opportunities including internships, entrepreneurship engagement and consulting activities.
• The Cardiff Business School’s common good ethos drives its focus on serving small businesses, social enterprises and local communities. This work has expanded to include the school’s own procurement strategy, which has lowered the barriers to entry for local small businesses and is linked to the School’s impressive research results for small business and knowledge transfer partnerships.

When reaccreditation was awarded, the Cardiff Business School was also recognized as exemplary for its integrated research on business and innovation as well as for its ethos for the common good and the associated initiatives.

Professor Rachel Ashworth, Dean of Cardiff Business School, said:

“We are very proud of our research, teaching and our commitment in the area of ​​small business and entrepreneurship, and we look forward to renewed accreditation by CABS for another five years.

“The exemplary awards for public value and research are a testament to the dedicated and collaborative relationships that colleagues have cultivated with our small businesses, social enterprises and cooperatives here in Cardiff, across Wales and the rest of the UK.”

For more information on the work the Cardiff Business School does to support small businesses, visit: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/business-school/about-us/for-business/supporting-small-business-and-entrepreneurs

More information about sbarc | Spark, go to: https://campaigns.cardiff.ac.uk/innovation-campus